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What does the child mean? A critique of the ‘functional’ approach to language acquisition*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 September 2008

Hazel Francis
Hazel Francis
Affiliation:
Institute of Education, University of London
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Abstract

The attribution of function of various kinds to elements of child speech is discussed, and the question of the validity of the interpretations on which such attribution rests is explored with reference to Halliday's work on the development of meaning. Work in the philosophy of language is used to explore the kind of evidence needed for valid interpretation, and its systematic nature within a framework of the structure of linguistic behaviour. It is argued that theoretical clarity in this area would aid the study of both language use and language acquisition.

Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Child Language , Volume 6 , Issue 2 , June 1979 , pp. 201 - 210
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1979

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References

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